Penance
by Songbird's Spirit
Summary: Where did Megatron go after his release from Unicron's hold? Earth. Upon his return, he witnesses firsthand the lingering effects of his oppression...and quite possibly his ticket to salvation.
1. Return to Earth

The only thing Megatron could truly find to be relieving upon his return to the small carbon-based planet was that Darkmount was still standing albeit with a lot more dings and scratches than he had left it with. Lowering himself onto the upper landing where his throne had once made its place, he surveyed the land before him from roughly five and and half miles above it.

Megatron felt somewhat sickened not only by the land but from his own appearance. He was a constant reminder to himself and what had been done to him. He had oppressed countless lives and species in his time and offed a large portion of them as well.

And now that he had lost his taste for brutality...

The warlord found himself doing something he had not done in an immeasurable amount of time...sat down...alone...and let his guard down. No Deceptions remained and any left would receive no direction from him.

However, one thing had plagued his mind ever since the first few cycles of his enslavement.

If he were to offline once and for all...would he be subjected to that same oppression he had been under previously. The former warlord had no illusions of making it to the Well of Allsparks, he had no good reason to. But with Prime gone, that much was obvious to him as he no longer felt an odd pressure in his spark that he had come to develop over many countless millennia.

"Just how long has it been...?" He mused, letting his question blow away unanswered.

"Too long to remember Megatron."

Maybe his question wasn't as unanswered as he previously assumed. His plating flared in alert surprise, and Megatron ever so cautiously turned to find the _last_ he thought to find sitting next to him, and blinking innocently enough.

Megatron was quick to scramble away with wide optics, "Optimus Prime!" He shouted with less dignity than he would of liked.

The robust red and blue mech and to suppress a snicker upon seeing his once-mortal enemy flounder away like a top-heavy sparkling. Megatron glared at the mech, sitting back in his former place and childishly swiping a hand through the apparition, temporarily distorting it.

Optimus's face reformed with a slightly exasperated expression and a roll of his optics.

"Real mature." The Prime mumbled.

Megatron merely grumbled in response, refusing to meet his gaze. Today was just full of firsts.

For a while, the two sat together merely gazing at the vast expanse of desert. It was almost odd to the both of them. One was a revived former Kaonian Gladiator that fought for his life early on and had become Cybertron's greatest enemy. The other was the ghostly apparition of the good of the ancients, revisiting the tyrant he once called a brother.

"Why visit me?" Megatron spoke up at last, "Why so soon after my departure?"

"I did not find my spark able to reincarnate right away like the other sparks." He admitted much to Megatron's surprise.

"And what could have tugged you away from such a destiny?" He demanded sourly, "Do not waste such an opportunity that...some...will never be able to experience."

"I do not intend to. But I had to know...if the one I once called my brother had returned." Optimus said in a tone Megatron had not heard him use in a very long time.

"Your brother is long gone I'm afraid." Megatron grunted harshly.

"I do not believe that." Optimus replied, "I remember the face you had when you and I worked together. It was softer...kinder...even with the cycles of suffering."

Megatron did not reply, but merely ruffled his armor uncomfortably.

"I saw it again...before you left." Optimus told the war hardened mech, "But may I ask why you returned to Earth."

"There is no proper punishment or penance to pay on Cybertron. It is no longer my home." Megatron paused, "I decided I would not allow myself to witness the new sparks. The next generation of Cybertron will not have a tyrant such as myself."

Optimus did not reply for a long moment, "Do you believe you can achieve Primus's forgiveness?" He asked.

"No."

A small smile quirked on the ghostly mech's lip-plates at the lack of hesitation in the Gladiator's reply.

"I believe you can." Optimus replied.

Megatron gave him a look, "You are not normally this blindly naïve." He said flatly.

Optimus gave him an unamused glare, "Honestly Megatronus, if I did not know better I would have mistaken you for a pouting adolescent."

Megatron stiffened, looking at Optimus with a curiosity he had not had since the Golden Ages.

"My old name." Megatron murmured, "You truly believe I can go back to such a time?"

"With time, yes." Optimus nodded, "But what you do to achieve your Penance is up to you?"

"And what will you be doing?" Megatron asked as Optimus lumbered to his pedes.

"I have a feeling my reincarnation will go differently than a normal one would. But I not put weight on that assumption." He replied.

Megatron nodded and got to his own pedes to stand before the Prime.

"Goodbye...Optimus."

"Till' all are one, Megatronus."

And with a bright flash of light Optimus disappeared. Megatron huffed at the flashy display.

"Dramatic corn-ball." He grumbled.

A sudden sharp force suddenly cuffed the former warlord on the back of the helm, startling him enough to send him stumbling to the floor.

"AND YOU CALL ME CHILDISH!" Megatron shouted as the faint laughter of the Prime could be heard echoing in the air.


	2. A Comrade is Freed

**Well, it's certainly been awhile. So...have some story. My apologies for the wait.**

 **Be looking for the Segway into the main meats of this story. It's rather obviously hidden around here somewhere. ;)**

* * *

For the next few days, the former warlord wasn't sure what he should do. He spent the majority of his time wandering the halls of the ruined Darkmount. With his head much clearer, it was appalling to actually try and make sense of some of the things he'd tried to accomplish. Of course he'd deny it if he were asked, but some of his schemes actually made Starscream look like the only sane mech of the bunch...outside of Soundwave.

Megatron paused, his step stuttering as realization smacked him in the helm. Where was Soundwave, anyhow? That mech was a tough one and as his third he was formatted to send out signals upon his deactivation.

Now riddled with a purpose, the large gladiator strode towards the main communication hub. Flicking his digits across the screen, he took a moment to perform a brief scan of all remaining logs. As he thought, Soundwave hadn't sent out any beacons or signals…

Then were the pit was he? The mech may not have been stupid, far from it in fact, but he was loyal. Shaking his helm and dragging a servo down his face, the mech almost turned to leave until-.

 **PING**

Megatron dismissed the files and logs and instead opened the communication line. Across the screen was a message…

"I believe the humans say, speak of the devil and he shall appear."

Megatron jumped, whirling to see Optimus standing nearby. Scowling, Megatron ignored him in favor or reading the message. "I hope you weren't planning to stalk me for the rest of eternity, Optimus. My day to day activities cannot be all that interesting." the large mech grunted.

The prime merely chuckled. "Waiting for fate may not be incredibly entertaining, but I don't have much of a choice in the matter."

"I can't begin to imagine how terribly boring the act of waiting to be reborn must be." Megatron bit out, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Optimus raised a brow plate but remained quiet otherwise.

"...This doesn't make sense." Megatron growled, slamming his fist on the console. "Soundwave usually doesn't have that problem."

"I don't understand."

"He's been missing, but the message claims your human charges sent him to another...earth?" Megatron scowled, "The mech has lost his processor."

Optimus smiled at the familiarity of the situation. "Those three must have trapped him in the shadowzone."

"The what?"

"The shadowzone," The prime repeated, "The children have also been trapped there. It would seem that it is possible to be transported there if multiple ground bridges are formed in a small area."

Megatron blinked his optics as he tried to process the information. "I...and what is it exactly?"

"I'm not sure what it is exactly. It is earth, but without the color and no one can see or hear you according to the children."

"He gave me coordinates…" Megatron murmured.

"You want to bring him back." Optimus asked, genuinely curious.

"He was one of the few competent mechs in my faction. Of course I need him here." Megatron snapped.

"Why? The decepticons are no more. Unless you-." Optimus furrowed his optic ridges.

"I am not reviving the Decepticons." The former warlord scowled, "If there has to be a reason, then think of it as his reward for his loyalty."

Neither said another word as Megatron busied himself with the directions in Soundwave's message.

* * *

As Megatron had come to expect over the millennia of battle, Soundwave immediately returned to base upon release. The mech landed quietly upon the top of Darkmount and offered a customary dip of his helm in greeting. However, the mech was quick to incline his head towards his leader, clearly curious as to the new battle armor.

"Soundwave, I will be brief with you. The war is over and Cybertron is amidst entering a new age. I won't be a part of it, surely you can fathom why," Megatron allowed his guard to wane a tad, "It is your choice what you do from here. Cybertron could use someone as intelligent and above all _competent_ right about now."

For the first time in centuries, Soundwave was visibly at a loss. He was still and then his armor seemed to deflate a tad. However, much to Megatron's surprise, the mech merely retracted and removed his entire facial visor. Megatron hated to admit it, but even after all this time it surprised him how expressive the mech's optics were.

With a very weary look he spoke, "So, it has ended...truly ended?"

The former warlord merely replied with a grim nod. "It has. Starscream might attempt something though I doubt he could gain a following."

"And what of Shockwave?"

"I do not know."

"Anything worth ch-."

"Soundwave, I am not your leader." He growled, "You are free to choose your own path as of now. If you wish to hunt for the deactivated remains of the scientist, then do so."

"For now I will remain in Darkmount," Soundwave held up a hand before Megatron could shout, "I have known nothing outside of the Gladiator Pits and the Decepticon Faction. I have no desire to return to the former and the latter is no longer an option. I am asking for time to sort my thoughts." Soundwave visibly seemed uncomfortable, "It has been...a long time since I have permitted myself to have any personal desires or thoughts."

"Take your time." Megatron snorted though it was bittersweet, "It's likely all we have left."

"Then good luck to you as well."

"Hmph."

"Ah, though I will warn you. There seems to be an intruder on the lowest floor."

"An intruder?"

"A human, I believe."

"Of course."

"Would you li-."

"No Soundwave, I think I'll handle this one."


End file.
